Photoelectric Converting Apparatus

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a photoelectric converting apparatus and a semiconductor integrated device and, more particularly, to a photoelectric converting apparatus and a semiconductor integrated device, in which memory pixels of the same number as that of CMOS type line sensors and area sensors are provided and can be treated on at least a block unit basis.

2. Related Background Art

As photoelectric converting devices, there are generally a CCD type and an MOS type. In case of the CCD type, photoelectric converted charges which were read are sequentially transferred and are used as image signals. In case of the MOS type, photoelectric converted charges are accumulated in a gate of an MOS transistor and a potential change is charge amplified and outputted to the outside at a scanning timing. In the latter MOS type photoelectric converting apparatus, an area sensor in which a plurality of photoelectric converting elements are arranged in the lateral and vertical directions is often used. In the area sensor, the photoelectric converting elements are two-dimensionally arranged, photoelectric converting pixels are accumulated every line and transferred to an accumulating capacitor, charge signals accumulated in the accumulating capacitor are time-sequentially read out by a timing signal from a horizontal scanning register, and the reading operation of one line is finished. Residual charges in the accumulating capacitor are reset and the reading operation of next one line is started.

On the other hand, there is a photoelectric converting apparatus as an example in which memory pixels corresponding to an area sensor are provided for the area sensor. For example, the photoelectric converting elements and memory pixels of the same number as that of the photoelectric converting elements are provided and are integratedly formed by a CMOS process compatibility and such a sensor is hereinafter referred to as a CMOS type area sensor. As for the reading operation of the image signal in the CMOS type area sensor, first, the pixel signals of one line are read out from the photoelectric converting elements with a two-dimensional construction, the pixel signals are accumulated into the memory pixels of corresponding one line through a transfer circuit. The operations to sequentially read out the pixel signals every line, transfer, and accumulate into the memory are repeated. After completion of the reading of the pixel signals of one frame, the memory pixels are time-sequentially read out every line and a series of image signals can be derived. The memory pixels can be read out in order to again obtain the same image signal. The same image signal can be obtained many times as a nondestructive memory.

However, according to the CMOS area sensor, since the image signals are detected every line and the image signals are outputted every line, the image signal of only a portion of the area sensor cannot be obtained. When the image of such a portion is necessary, for example, there is a case where a line of sight is detected at the time of a focal control of a camera and it is necessary to focus to a point where the line of sight is directed. In such a case, in order to detect a focal error of a portion of the area sensor where the line of sight is directed, it is necessary to obtain the image signal of such a portion of the area sensor. In this case, the CMOS area sensor with the above construction cannot cope with such a purpose.

Even in case of a photoelectric converting apparatus arranged in a line, since the image detection of only a portion on one line cannot be performed, for example, in case of a copying apparatus in which a copy of only a portion is requested, it is necessary to read out the whole portion of one line. Useless operations are, consequently, executed.

It is, therefore, a subject of the invention to make it possible to read out an image signal of only a portion of a line or in an area in such a CMOS line sensor or CMOS area sensor as mentioned above.

The invention is made to solve the above subject and it is an object to provide an amplifying type photoelectric converting apparatus comprising: two-dimensional sensor pixels; a transfer circuit to transfer pixel signals of the sensor pixels; and two-dimensional memory pixels to record the transferred pixel signals, wherein two switches for writing or resetting are provided for at least ones of the sensor pixels and the memory pixels, one of the switches is controlled by a vertical selection circuit, and the other is controlled by a horizontal selection circuit.

The invention is not limited to a two-dimensional area sensor. In case of a one-dimensional line sensor, there is provided a photoelectric converting apparatus comprising: line sensor pixels; a transfer circuit to transfer pixels of the line sensor; and memory pixels of at least the same number as that of the line sensor pixels to record an output of the transfer circuit, wherein switches for writing or resetting are provided for at least ones of the line sensor pixels and the memory pixels and are controlled by a selection circuit of predetermined pixels.

The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of a semiconductor converting apparatus and a semiconductor integrated circuit according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of a transfer circuit of the photoelectric converting apparatus and semiconductor integrated circuit according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is a timing chart showing the operation of the photoelectric converting apparatus and semiconductor integrated circuit according to the invention;

FIG. 4 is another circuit block diagram of the photoelectric converting apparatus according to the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of another embodiment according to the invention.

FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of a photoelectric converting apparatus of (2.times.2) pixels and memory pixels according to the first embodiment of the invention. In the diagram, reference numeral 1 denotes an amplifying MOS transistor of an inverting amplifier; 2 an MOS transistor for switching which is turned on by a switching pulse .phi.S1; 3 a first writing MOS transistor which is controlled by a write pulse .phi.R1 from a vertical selection circuit 15; 4 a second writing MOS transistor which is controlled by a horizontal selection circuit 18; and 5 a capacitor for accumulating charges. The above component elements construct one memory pixel 20. Reference numeral 6 denotes a load MOS transistor of the inverting amplifying MOS transistor 1. The load MOS transistor 6 constructs an inverting amplifier in combination with the inverting amplifying MOS transistor 1.

Reference numeral 7 denotes an amplifying MOS transistor of an inverting amplifier; 8 an MOS transistor for switching which is turned on by a switching pulse .phi.S3; 9 a first resetting MOS transistor which is controlled by the write pulse .phi.R3 from a vertical selection circuit 16; 10 a second resetting MOS transistor which is controlled by a horizontal selection circuit 19; and 11 a photodiode. The above component elements construct one sensor pixel 21. Reference numeral 12 denotes a load MOS transistor of the inverting amplifying MOS transistor 7. The load MOS transistor 12 constructs an inverting amplifier in combination with the inverting amplifying MOS transistor 7. Reference numeral 13 denotes a horizontal switching MOS transistor for outputting a pixel signal in the charge accumulating capacitor 5 of the memory pixel 20 to an output amplifier 14 on the basis of a horizontal scanning timing signal from a horizontal scanning circuit 22. Reference numerals 30 to 37 denote inverters. Polarities of the MOS transistors are not limited to those polarities but can be also preferably selected.

The embodiment is characterized by providing the writing MOS transistor and resetting MOS transistor which are controlled by the horizontal selection circuits 18 and 19.

In FIG. 1, in the CMOS area sensor, an object is read by the photodiode 11 of the sensor pixel 21. The image signal of the sensor pixel 21 is transferred by a transfer circuit 17 every line or every horizontal line of a block according to the control of the horizontal selection circuit 19. The image signal is accumulated into the charge accumulating capacitor 5 of the sensor pixel 20 every horizontal line or every horizontal line of a block according to the control of the horizontal selection circuit 18. After that, in accordance with a timing signal from the horizontal scanning circuit 22, the horizontal switching MOS transistor 13 is made conductive every block according to the control of the horizontal selection circuit 18. An image signal is outputted or an image signal is outputted as an image signal of a predetermined block from the output amplifier 14.

In each sensor pixel 21, first, a reset pulse .phi.R3 from the vertical selection circuit 16 is set to the high level. A horizontal selection pulse from the horizontal selection circuit 19 is set to the high level in accordance with a block selected by a predetermined instruction. Residual charges of the photodiode 11 are reset to the ground level by turning on the first and second resetting MOS transistors 9 and 10, setting a load pulse .phi.L1 to the high level, and making the load MOS transistor 12 conductive. After that, the photodiode 11 is exposed by the object for a predetermined time. After the elapse of the predetermined time, the load pulse .phi.L1 is set to the high level, the load MOS transistor 6 is made conductive, the switching pulse .phi.S3 is set to the high level, the image charges of the photodiode 11 are amplified by the amplifying MOS transistor 7, the switching MOS transistor 8 is made conductive, and the image charges are transferred to a memory pixel portion by the switching MOS transistor of the transfer circuit 17.

A specific example of the transfer circuit 17 will now be described with reference to FIG. 2. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 41 denotes a transfer MOS transistor to transfer the signal from the CMOS sensor pixel 21; 42 an MOS transistor to feed back the signal to the sensor pixel 21; 43 an MOS transistor to transfer the signal from the memory pixel 20; 44 an MOS transistor to feed back the signal to the memory pixel 20; 45 an MOS transistor to reset a clamping capacitor 48; 46 an amplifying MOS transistor of a source-follower circuit; and 47 a constant current source.

In each memory pixel 20, the write pulse .phi.R1 from the vertical selection circuit 15 is set to the high level and the horizontal selection pulse from the horizontal selection circuit 18 is set to the high level in accordance with a block selected by a predetermined instruction. Residual charges in the accumulating capacitor 5 are reset to the ground level by turning on the first and second writing MOS transistors 9 and 10, setting a load pulse .phi.L2 to the high level, and making the load MOS transistor 6 conductive. Subsequently, the image signal of the sensor pixel from the transfer circuit 17 is accumulated into the accumulating capacitor 5 by setting the write pulse .phi.R1 from the vertical selection circuit 15 to the high level, setting a horizontal selection pulse .phi.B1 from the horizontal selection circuit 18 to the high level in accordance with a block selected by a predetermined instruction, turning on the first and second writing MOS transistors 3 and 4, and setting the load pulse .phi.L2 to the high level. Subsequently, the transfer MOS transistor 13 is turned on by a timing signal from the horizontal scanning circuit 22. The load pulse .phi.L2 is set to the high level. The charge voltage accumulated in the accumulating capacitor is amplified by the amplifying MOS transistor 1. The switching MOS transistor 2 is made conductive. An image signal is outputted or an image signal is outputted as an image signal of a predetermined block from the output amplifier 14 through the transfer MOS transistor 13.

FIG. 3 shows a timing chart for a further detailed driving method of the embodiment 1. FIG. 3 shows an example of a random writing operation into the memory pixels.

At time T0, control pulses .phi.RS, .phi.B1, .phi.B2, .phi.A1, .phi.A2, and .phi.R1 to .phi.R4 are set to the high level and the sensor pixel 21, memory pixel 20, and transfer circuit 17 are reset. At time T1, the pulse .phi.S3 is set to the high level and the signal of the sensor pixel 21 is sent to the transfer circuit 17.

At time T2, the pulses .phi.R3, .phi.A1, and .phi.A2 are set to the high level and the signal (corresponding to noise components here) from the transfer circuit 17 is fed back to the sensor pixel 21. The noise components of the sensor pixel 21 and the noise components which were fed back are cancelled here.

At time T3, the signal is again sent from the sensor pixel 21 to the transfer circuit 17 and is clamped. At time T4, the pulses .phi.R1, .phi.B1, and .phi.B2 of the memory pixel 20 are set to the high level and initial signals from the sensor pixel 21 and transfer circuit 17 are written.

The above operations are executed with respect to all of the lines, thereby completing the resetting operation. Subsequently, after the elapse of an arbitrary accumulation time, the signal is read out from the sensor pixel 21 and its value is written into the memory pixel.

At time T5, .phi.S3 is set to the high level and the signal of the sensor pixel 21 is read out. At time T6, .phi.S1 is set to the high level and the signal in the initial state is read out from the memory pixel 20, thereby obtaining a difference signal between the read-out signal and the signal of the sensor pixel 21. At time T7, the photosignal corresponding to the difference between the signal of the sensor pixel 21 and the initial signal is written into the memory pixel 20. Upon writing, the pulse is generated from the horizontal selection circuit, thereby allowing the signal to be written into an arbitrary memory. In FIG. 3, .phi.B1 is set to the high level and .phi.B2 is set to the low level, thereby setting a timing to write the signal into only the memory pixel 20 connecting to .phi.B1.

In the embodiment, although the reset pulses .phi.R3 and .phi.R4 of the sensor pixel 21 have been synchronized with .phi.A1 and .phi.A2 of the horizontal selection circuit 19 and all of the lines have been reset. However, it will be obviously understood that either one of .phi.A1 and .phi.A2 is selected and only an arbitrary pixel can be reset. Although an example in which the memory pixel connected to each control line of the horizontal selection circuit is treated as a block has been shown and described, by providing such a control line for every memory pixel, it is also possible to make the memory pixels different as a plurality of arbitrary blocks every target image in accordance with control pulses to the control lines. If the blocks are fixedly set, the control line can be also commonly connected to the blocks in a hardware manner.

An example in which the memory pixels 20 are divided into blocks by the horizontal selection circuit 18 has been shown and described above. However, by the operation similar to the above, it is also possible to construct as follows. Only the blocks of a predetermined region instructed by the horizontal selection circuit 19 are selected, only predetermined photodiodes are exposed for only a predetermined time and image signals are read out and transferred. In the horizontal selection circuit 18, when the residual charges in the accumulating capacitor 5 are reset, all of the memory pixels 20 are reset. The writing MOS transistor 4 for writing into the accumulating capacitor 5 is turned on with respect to only the relevant blocks for the transferred image signal, thereby enabling the signal to be written into the accumulating capacitor 5 of a predetermined block. The written accumulated charges can be read out as a nondestructive memory many times in accordance with the scan of the horizontal scanning circuit 22. As for the sensor pixel 21, an exposure start time is arbitrarily set and controlled, a charge amount of each photodiode 11 is set to a level at which the charges are not saturated, and a blooming can be prevented. As mentioned above, the image of only a specific block is detected and, for example, as a sight line sensor, an automatic focusing of a camera can be accomplished in accordance with the sight line direction.

In the embodiment, it will be obviously understood that all of the outputs of the horizontal selection circuits 18 and 19 are turned on and can be read out every ordinary line.

Although an example in which the block control in the inverting amplifying type CMOS sensor is enabled has been shown and described in the above embodiment, so long as the sensor is a line or area sensor, the invention can be applied to any of the CCD type sensor and the MOS type sensor.

FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of a block control of a line sensor according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 21 denotes the sensor pixels arranged in a line and an internal circuit is similar to the circuit including the photodiodes shown in FIG. 1. Reference numeral 17 denotes a transfer circuit; 20 the memory pixel corresponding to the sensor pixel 21; 22 the horizontal scanning circuit for reading out the accumulated charges of the memory pixel 20; and 23 a logic circuit to read out the image every block of the sensor pixel 21.

In FIG. 4, by an instruction signal 28 from the outside, an instruction control signal is inputted for all blocks or every other block or every two other blocks. In accordance with the instruction control signal, the logic circuit 23 sets all of output instruction control signals 24 to 27 to the high level or sets a combination of only the output instruction signals 24 and 26, only the output instruction signals 24 and 27, or the like. Only predetermined blocks of each sensor pixel 21 are turned on, thereby reading out the image signals. The read-out image signals are transferred in a lump by the transfer circuit 17 comprising a switching MOS transistor or the like and are written into the memory pixel 20. The written image signals are sequentially outputted by the timing signal of the horizontal scanning circuit 22. In this case, since not only the image signal of the designated block but also dark portion signals of the blocks which are not designated are outputted, there is a portion without a signal in the image signal. Therefore, in response to the timing signal of the horizontal scanning circuit, only the necessary image signal can be also outputted by an instruction from the logic circuit 23 to the horizontal scanning circuit 22. In this manner, the block reading operation in the sensor pixel 21 of the line sensor is enabled. As the block is larger, a wiring from the logic circuit 23 is more simplified. If the logic circuit 23 and all of the sensor pixels 21 are wired, a size of block can be arbitrarily and freely set in accordance with an instruction input.

FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a transfer method from the sensor pixel to the memory pixel in an area sensor according to the third embodiment of the invention. Hatched portions in the sensor pixel 21 are accumulated in hatched portions in the memory pixel 20 through the transfer circuit. As for the image signals which were once accumulated, the same signal can be read out many times as a nonvolatile memory until they are reset. When such an area sensor is used as, for example, an AF sensor for a camera according to the sight line direction, the inside of the area sensor is divided into 24 (=3.times.8) blocks, to which block the line of sight corresponds is specified in accordance with the direction of the sight line, the image of such a specified block is read out, the image of the specified block is read out every position of the camera lens, an optimum focusing position is discriminated, an AF is performed, and an object is photographed at a predetermined speed by opening a shutter in such a state. Upon photographing, the image signals are read out from all of the sensor pixels and the video signal according to the line of sight can be outputted.

In the diagram, a concept of reading out each of blocks (a) to (c) is shown. After the blocks (a) to (c) were read out and transferred, an exposure is further performed and the remaining blocks are transferred to the memory.

In the embodiments, an example in which the sensor pixels of the line or area sensor are controlled on a block unit basis, an example in which the nondestructive memory pixels corresponding to the sensor pixels are controlled on a block unit basis, and an example of a compound type of them have been shown and described. However, they can be applied to various purposes such as AF control of the camera, sight line detection, and the like. The invention is not limited to the application examples.

According to the photoelectric converting apparatus and semiconductor integrated circuit of the invention as described above, the block control of the CMOS sensor is enabled, the reading operation of the random access of the sensor pixels is enabled, the random access writing operation of the memory pixels is enabled, and the same image signal can be obtained a plurality of number of times by the nonvolatile memory pixel.

Many widely different embodiments of the present invention may be constructed without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described in the specification, except as defined in the appended claims.